1. The Coalition has revealed the details of its offshore asylum seeker processing plan. The plan includes what is already being dubbed as a ‘tent city’ on the island of Nauru. According to The Australian newspaper, the Coalition is proposing erecting tents to house at least 2000 asylum seekers “while finding locations for thousands more”. Scott Morrison, the Opposition’s Immigration spokesperson, said that the Abbott Government would work towards creating space for 5000 asylum seekers on Nauru.
“There would be no guarantee or resettlement in Australia,” Mr Morrison told the media. “People would be invited to make application for resettlement elsewhere. While they are doing that they would have accommodation, it would be like a bridging visa program in Nauru.”
2. In a news conference, Pope Francis has spoken out about gay priests, saying that it is not his place to judge them based on their sexual orientation. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” he said, adding: “The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That’s the most serious problem.” He also said that gays and lesbians should be “treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity, without discrimination”. It’s a big step-up from the previous pope, Benedict, who in 2008 suggested that homosexuality was akin to climate change in that it was a threat to the survival of the human race.
3. Swimmer Christian Sprenger has won Australia’s first gold medal at the world championships in Barcelona. Twenty-seven-year-old Sprenger won the 100m breaststroke final overnight.
Top Comments
I have a few problems with number 10.
As I understand it Ms Criado-Perez didn't campaign for Austen to be pictured on the tenner rather she campaigned for a woman. How patronising is that. Sorry you aren't good enough to earn a spot but you are obviously disadvantaged by your lack of testicals so have it anyway.
Even if there must be a woman on the tenner why not pick someone more deserving than a middling writer of teen literature. I know others have suggested Ada Lovelace, Rosalind Franklin, Mary Somerville, Mary Wollstonecraft, Marie Stopes. All these women could have been chosen on their merits.
As patronising as you think she is for campaigning for a woman, it still doesn't warrant having anonymous abuse and rape threats hurled at her, which is what news item 10 was about.
Yes but I thought saying "rape is bad" was a bit redundant.
Regarding item 1 - from today's Age:
"A logistics company that stands to profit from the Coalition's "tent city" on Nauru funded the trip of its immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and a journalist and photographer from News Corporation to the remote island to announce the plan.
"The trip to Nauru was facilitated by Toll Holdings, which has multimillion-dollar contracts already to help handle asylum seekers and is eager for more business in the area.
"Other news outlets were not invited to travel with Mr Morrison, leading to News Corporation's newspapers reporting an “exclusive” story that the Coalition would set up a “tent city” on Nauru to house at least 2000 asylum seekers."